Carton ejection means and method



Oct. 13, .1964 R. E. LISIECKI CARTON sazcnou MEANS AND METHOD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 31, 1962 INVENTOR.

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CARTON EJECTION MEANS AND METHOD Filed Jan. 31, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 oMQQ-Qmo-Q-o-Q 62 I H x @1 644 I I 7v V 1 A l l Q I U 67 L A 4,P

Q94 INVENTOR.

7 ROBIRT 4'. Z/SlfC/f/ EE. 5 BY GIN?" Mam! United States Patent 3,152,525 CARTQN ELECTION MEANS AND METHOD Robert E. Lisiechi, Redford Township, Wayne County, Mich, assignor to Ex-Cell-O Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Jan. 31, 1962, Ser. No. 170,129 1 Claim. (Ci. 93--44.1)

The invention in general relates to paperboard container forming and filling machines and particularly to the container chute transfer mechanism on packaging machines for forming, and filling paperboard containers.

Thermoplastic coated paperboard containers are being used in increasing quantifies as fluid containing bottles in place of other commonly used means. This new approach to packaging has allowed new and improved methods of fabricating to be employed in the construction of fluid containers, namely heat sealing. In the building of new machines and the converting of present machines means had to be provided to heat the thermoplastic coating so it could be bonded and liquid tight. If for any reason the machine when operating had to be stopped more than momentarily, there would be containers in some stages of construction which would not be bonded properly and not completely liquid tight.

The major objective of the present invention is to provide a new and improved means of removing the defective containers from the fabricating machine. Another objective of the present invention is to provide means of removing defective containers without allowing them to reach the filling units, thus preventing needless waste of the product being packaged.

Still another objective of the present invention is to provide means of removing defective containers during the normal operating of the machine and without holding up good containers not subjected to the same defective conditions as the defective container.

Also, the objectives of the present invention include the provision of a structure capable of accomplishing the above objectives with a minimum of material cost and fabricating expense, and at the same time being composed of simple and ruggedly constructed elements which are very reliable in operation.

Other objectives and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and claim, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form part of the instant specification, and which are to be read in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in various views.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an illustrative carton forming machine embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the transfer chute and carton ejection means in normal operational position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the transfer chute and the carton ejection means in ejection position; and

FIG. 4 is an electrical wiring diagram illustrating the control means for carrying out the invention.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, a certain illustrative embodiment has been shown in the drawings and will be described below in considerable detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

General Machine Description The forming and filling machine generally indicated as in FIG. 1 is similar to the forming and filling ma- 3,152,525 Fatented Get. 13, 1964 chine disclosed in copending application, Serial No. 115,- 367, filed June 7, 1961, and owned by the same assignee. The present machine is adapted to receive a supply (not shown in the drawings) of flattened side seam container blanks similar to the one disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,120,335. A flattened side seamed blank is removed from the supply and loaded on a rotary mandrel assembly unit 11 by a loader assembly 12. The mandrel assembly is rotated, in a clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 1, by indexing through various stations at which time one closure end, in the present case the bottom, is formed and bonded.

The carton blank is loaded on a mandrel 14 at the load station 2%. The assembly 11 is then indexed so the mandrel is positioned at the pre-break station 21 where the bottom score lines of the container blank are pre-broken. The mandrel assembly 11 then indexes the mandrel 14 through heat stations 21-1, 22-2, 22-3 where the containers bottom panels are heated to the bonding temperature range. The next index of the mandrel 14 is to tucking station 23 where the heatedrhottom panels are tucked into proper relationship for bonding. The next two indexes are to the pressure pad stations 24-1, and 24-2 where the bottom panels are forced together under large large pressure. This causes a strong bonding action by the pressure and the cooling eifect upon the panel members. The mandrel next indexes to station 25 which is an idle station. The container is then stripped at unload station 26 by means such as a stripper paddle or a jet of pressurized air blasting out the end of the mandrel 1d. The mandrel 14 is then indexed to station 20 to repeat the cycle with another carton blank.

Ejector Operation Referring generally to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 there is shown a container 16 stripped off mandrel 14, for this discussion the container is stripped oi the mandrel by an air blast, and projected into and guided by chute 30. Top guide members are generally indicated as 31, side guide members as 32 and bottom guide members as 33. The direction of the container in flight is indicated by arrows in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 shows the chute in normal operational condition. As the container 16 is blown off the mandrel 14 into the chute 30 it rides on and is guided principally by top guide member 31. The container is inverted in its flight so that the bottom is down and the top is up when it arrives at receiver ltl and it will continue through the machine for filling, top closing and top sealing.

Referring to FIG. 1, if the machine It) is stopped for any reason, such as a jam-up, there is a possibility that the container bottoms on mandrels 14, at stations 22-1, 22-2, 23-3 and 24-1, may not be properly sealed, and if continued through the machine, would result in bottom leakers. T he disclosed invention provides that when the machine is stopped, the operator may put the machine back in condition for operation and start it up again, and the containers at stations 24-2 and 25 will be blown off the mandrels to receiver 40 in the normal manner, as is shown in FIG. 2. However, when the mandrel 14, which was at station 24-1 when the machine was restarted, reaches station 26, the air cylinder 41 is activated, as shown in FIG. 3. In this position, as seen in FIG. 3, the air cylinder 41 having been activated, the rod 43 is extended causing part of the bottom guide member 33 to be raised, thus guiding the container 16 out of the chute and unto the floor below the machine generally indicated as 18 in FIG. 1. The cylinder 41 will remain in this position until the mandrel 14, which started from station 22-1 when the machine was restarted, has arrived at position 26. After this mandrel .3 leaves position 26, the air cylinder 4-1 will return to its normal position as seen in FIG. 2.

Air cylinder 41 is pivotally secured to stationary plate 45 at cap 42, which allows it to pivot freely. The rod 43 has a bifurcated tip 47 which is connected to one end of lever 49 by a rotational pivot pin 51. The lever 49 is secured to and rotates with support arm 53 about stationary pivot pin 54. The pivot pin 54 is held by a stationary bracket 55 which is secured to the chute structure. The arm 53 supports one section of the bottom guide member 33 and, when the cylinder 41 has been activated as seen in FIG. 3, this section is raised and acts like a top guide section, thus guiding the defective containers out of the chute 3t) and into the general area 18.

Ejector Control Referring to FIG. 4 generally, we have power supply from a transformer 66, a main drive switch 62, a timer 63, a timer contact 63-1, a first count contact 64-1, a third count contact 64-3, a reset coil 61, an air cylinder solenoid 65, second count contact 64-2, vacuum relay coil 66, counter switch 67, sequence relay coil 68, sequence contact 68-1, and impulse relay coil 69.

The counter switch operates off the main drive shaft 71 which runs lengthwise of the machine 16 as seen in FIG. 1. A barrel cam on the. main drive shaft indexes the mandrel assembly 11 one station for every revolution; thus for every revolution of the shaft 71, the cam lobe 72 will join counter switch 67s contacts.

The main drive switch 62 is open during operation of the machine, and when the machine stops operating, the switch is closed. If the machine is stopped, the switch 62 makes contact and allows the power supply to pass through the timer 63. The timer 63 will begin to count, and after a pre-set time interval, for example, 2 seconds, it will cause timer contact 63-1 to make connection; thus allowing the power to pass through normally connected first count contact 64-1 and then energizing reset coil 61. With reset coil 61 energized, normally open second count contact 64-2 is closed and vacuum relay coil 66 is energized. The vacuum relay coil 66 stops the vacuum at the loader assembly 12, thus preventing any blanks being removed from the supply for loading on the mandrels 14. Also, with contact 64-2 closed, the circuit is partially complete to sequence relay coil 68 and impulse relay coil 69. To complete this circuit, the counter switch 67 must be closed by the cam lobe 72 on the main drive shaft 71.

The machine is now shut down and the cause can be corrected by the operator before the machine is again put in operation. As previously mentioned, referring to- FIG. 1, containers at stations 22-1, 22-2, 23-3 and 24-1 will probably not be sealed properly when the machine is started up and, therefore, should be removed from the cycle. The containers, if any, at stations 20, 21, 24-2 and 25 will be good and should not be removed from the cycle.

When the machine 10 is started again, the main drive shaft 71 is rotated and the cam lobe 72 closes counter switch 67, momentarily making contact within the counter switch. A circuit is momentarily complete across both sequence relay coil 68 and impulse relay coil 69. The impulse relay makes one count.

On the first two indexes of the mandrel assembly 11, the containers on mandrels 14 at stations 25 and 24-2 will be stripped off the mandrels 14 when they reach station 26 and will be transferred to receiver 40 for continuation through the machine. After the second index is completed and the container 16 has been stripped from the mandrel and is at receiver 40, the impulse relay will make count number three. This will close third count contact 64-3 energizing air cylinder solenoid 65. The solenoid 65 activates the air cylinder 41 and will extend its rod 43 as seen in FIG. 3.

The next 5 indexes, counts 3 through 7 on impulse relay coil 69, will keep the rod 43 in the extended position as shown in FIG. 3, and the containers, if any, will be stripped off the mandrel when they arrive at station 26 and will be ejected to the general area of 18 in FIG. 1. With each index of the mandrel assembly 11, sequence relay coil 68 energizes sequence contact 68-1. On the seventh count the seoond count contact 64-2 will break open and sequence contact 68-1 will still be in contact and completing the circuit, while the counter switch 67 is in contact and will give impulse relay coil enough time to make its complete seventh count. This will allow the container on mandrel 14, which started at station 22-1, to be ejected. After the seventh count is completed and the sequence contact 63-1 is out of contact, the circuit through vacuum relay coil 66 is broken and the loader assembly will start feeding blanks to the mandrels again. Also, after the seventh count, the third count contact 64-3 will be taken out of contact, breaking the circuit through the air cylinder solenoid 65 causing the air cylinder 41 to retract rod 43 and return to normal operational conditions as seen in FIG. 2. When the machine was started again, the main drive switch 62 and the first count contact 64-1 were opened, thus the complete circuit is ready for operation when the next shut-down occurs.

Another embodiment of the present automatic ejector feature may be accomplished by merely eliminating any bottom guide member at the section where the member 33 is cormected to support arm 53. In this case, if the container bottom 16 is not air tight, the blast of air used to blow it off the mandrel 14 at station 26, will not give it enough velocity to carry it to the receiver 40, but it will drop out of the chute 30 by lack of a bottom support at the top area.

There are many simple variations which can be applied to the device, such as changing impulse relay coil counter system to allow the containers at the first three stations 25, 24-2 and 24-1 to be sent to the receiver 40, and then the next 4 to be ejected by the ejector structure. Also, the system could be arranged to have the vacuum relay coil de-energized when the machine first starts up after corrections are made so that the loader assembly 12 will be loading the mandrels immediately.

While the embodiments of the presentinvention herein disclosed constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

I claim the following as my invention:

A carton ejection apparatus for a high-speed carton fabricating machine, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a mandrel member,

(b) a main drive shaft driving said mandrel,

(c) an air jet outlet on the end of said mandrel to strip a carton from said mandrel,

(d) a receiver to receive properly sealed cartons from said mandrel,

(e) a chute to guide the carton from said mandrel to said receiver,

(f) a carton ejection means secured to said chute to eject certain cartons upon restarting said machine after it has been stopped,

(g) said ejection means having an air cylinder, a cap, a rod, a stationary plate, a lever, a rotational pivot pin, a support arm, a stationary pivot pin, and a bottom guide section,

(h) an air cylinder solenoid,

(i) a counter switch,

(j) a cam lobe on said main drive shaft,

(k) an electrical circuit which is completed when said cam lobe acts on said counter switch energizing the said air cylinder solenoid,

(l) the air cylinder solenoid activates the air cylinder extending the rod and causing the lever and support arm to rotate around the stationary pivot pin,

5 (m) the cap is part of the air cylinder and is pivotally chute which causes cartons to be ejected from the connected to the stationary plate which is secured machine. to the chute, (n) the rod is connected to the lever which is securely References Clted the file of thls patent connected to the support arm and they both rotate 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS g r about the stationary pivot p 2,357,834 Monroe Jan, 3, 945 (o) the rod acts on the lever at the rotational pivot 2,527,394 Br et 1 24, 1950 p an 2,987,159 Daniele et a1 June 6 ,1961 (p) said bottom guide section is secured to the sup- 2,993,591 Dengle July 25, 1961 port arm and rotates with the said arm across the 10 3,034,645 Groppe May 15, 1962 

